The late Queen Elizabeth II transformed the way the Royal Family interacts with the public by popularising the 'walkabout' during her 1970 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Before this, royals would only wave from cars, never shaking hands or stopping to chat with crowds.
In the documentary 'Queen of the World', it was revealed that the Queen wanted to meet more people beyond officials and dignitaries. Princess Anne recalled that the old rule was 'you couldn't shake hands with everybody, so don't start', but the Queen decided to break that tradition.
The walkabout has since become a staple of royal engagements, with younger royals like the Princess of Wales embracing it fully. Kate Middleton admitted she is often teased for spending too long chatting during walkabouts, saying 'there's a real art' to them.
The Queen also made other significant changes, such as the Succession of the Crown Act 2013, which ended male primogeniture, ensuring Princess Charlotte kept her place in the line of succession ahead of her younger brother Prince Louis.
